Article of furniture



April 30, 1935.` A. B. M'oDlNE 9 1,999,659

ARTICLE Ol'y FURNITURE Y Filed ooi. 24, 1952 zsheets-sheet'l April 30, 1935. A.`B. MODINE V 1,999,659

` ARTICLE oF FURNITURE Filed Oat;y 24, 1952 2 Sheets-sheet 2 mammals: nm /Y lili ateniied pr. @t l@ Medine Manufacturing Company,

Racine,

is., a corporation of Wisconsin Application @ctober 2li, i932, Serial No. 639,3l9

i3 Claims.

The invention relates to air conditioning devices and primarily to that type which is designed to cool air and deliver said air in a cooled condition to a room in which the device is located.

The invention particularly relates to the production of a piece of furniture such as for instance a table having means for circulating air and directing said air toward the occupants of the table.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a piece of furniture having means for circulating and means for cooling air, the cooling agent and the air advancing means being located in one of the elements ofthe table, the other element such as the top having means through which air is discharged and delivered in a plane at one side of said top and toward an edge thereof.

In addition to the above, it is an object to provide a device of this character with means for regulating the discharge of air therefrom to thereby allow an occupant of the table to regulate the degree or amount of air circulating in his l direction.

The invention has an additional object the provision of means whereby the cooling agent or a container therefor is removably arranged in the device to facilitate replacement of the device when this becomes necessary or desirable.

The invention has these and other objects, all of which will be explained in detail and more readily understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which disclose various arrangements which may be resorted to in order to accomplish the invention, it being therefore obvious that other changes may be employed without departing from the spirit of the appended claims forming a part hereof.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section of a construction forming a table having means combined therewith for accomplishing desired advantages.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified arrangement which may be resorted to;

Figs. 3 and 4 are also sectional views of a portion of a table structure capable of functioning to produce the various advantages hereinabove referred to; and

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a cooling agent which may be employed with other elements of the structure to accomplish the cooling of air.

'Ihe article of furniture illustrated in Fig. l involves the use of a member I0 and an element III. The member I0 functions to support the element I I and the two cooperate with each other to provide a table having a pedestal and a table (Gl. (i2-131i) top. The pedestal I0 is of hollow construction and the table top Il is provided with an opening l2 through which cooled air is delivered toward the occupants of the table.

The lower end of the member or pedestal I0 has a base I3 which provides a closure for this end of the structure and said member lil is provided with a plurality of air inlet openings I9. The member I0 is preferably constructed of an inner shell Ill and an outer shell I5 the two being separated from each other throughthe medium of insulation I6, the latter being employed so as to reduce occurrence of condensation upon the outer surface -of the member I0.

The cooling agent generally designated I'i is g supported within the shell It, it being located in spaced relation thereto so as to provide a circumferential air passage i8 with which the openings I9 communicate.

The cooling agent Il in this construction is comprised of an open ended chamber 2li which is adapted to receive cracked ice and produce means with which air circulated by the air advancing means 25 through the passage i8 may engage prior to its being discharged through the opening I2 located adjacent the table top. This chamber 20 is provided with a cup 22 for catching condensate forming upon the outer portion of the chamber 20 and is further provided with supports such as 23 which cooperate with Y supports 2t projecting from the inner face oi. the shell Ill to hold this chamber in proper relation to other elements of the device.

The chamber 20 is designed to be removably arranged within the member Ill and is provided with a removable cover 26 so as to permit filling of the chamber with a cooling medium. This cover 26 is of a dimension so that when applied to the chamber 2li and the latter is located within thesheli It, the passage I2 is formed. n

It will be noted that the closure 26 and the upper termination of the member generally designated I0 are formed with means respectively designated 2l and 28 so as to deiiect the cooled air in a lateral direction relatively to the member I0, and deliver same at one side of the plane of the table top I I and toward an occupant of the table.

The chamber 20 is provided with handles such as that designated 29 to facilitate handling during removal and insertion of said chamber to and from the support or member I0.

It is understood that the device is susceptible of use to merely cause circulation of air without cooling same when this is found necessary or desirable, it being evident that the air advancing means will cause air to be circulated and discharged in the manner hereinabove referred to and that this may be accomplished merely by omitting the use of a cooling agent.

It is understood also that the cooling agent may be of any desired character and may consist of the ordinary cooling coils arranged within the pedestal or support l0 and may also be in the form shown in Fig. 5 which contemplates the utilization of a container 30 which is secured to the member 3| and contains a block of ice 30' which is frozen in said container, the latter being designed to be supported within the member l0.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2, employment of air advancing means and also cooling means is contemplated. In this arrangement a chamber for a cooling medium is employed and designated 20', having a cover 26' detachably connected therewith, the chamber being adapted to be introduced to the member I0 through the opening l 2 provided in the table top. The member I0a is provided with a plurality of apertures 32 and the table top 33 is also provided with a series of apertures 34 with which the apertures 32 communicate. Air circulating from the apertures 32 is assisted in its circulation toward the apertures 34 by meansof a circumferential baffle plate 46 which will direct the air in the manner just referred to. The table top 33 may have the underside thereof provided with insulation 33' to prevent the occurrence of moisture.

In the structure shown in Fig. 3, the table top 3B is of a hollow character, it being comprised of the walls 31 and 38 which are spaced from each other to provide an air space 39. This air space 39 communicates with the air passage 40 which corresponds in function to the air passage |8 and may be formed in a manner similar to said last mentioned passage. The space 39 is open at 4| so that air circulating through the space 39 and the passage 40 may be discharged from the openings 4I at an edge of the table top. Since the external formation of the table top may be either of a circular or square character, it is manifest that by providing shutters such as those generally designated 42, the degree or amount of air directed toward ar particular occupant of -the table may be regulated according to the desires of the occupant.

By referring to Fig. 3, it will be noted that an internally projecting flange 43 having a pin 44 is provided. This pin is adapted to cooperate with the bayonet slot 45 provided in the member such as 3| shown in Fig. 5 to removably hold the member shown in Fig. 5 relative to other portions of the table structure.

In Fig. 4, the table top 48 is of hollow formation as is the support or pedestal 49 and the latter is providedwith a series of air outlet openings 50 which are located below the lower wall 5l of the table top to thus permit the lower wall 5l to function as a deector for deflecting air along the lower portion of the table top to the periphery of the table top. A baille 5| is located below the openings 50 to direct air toward the table top 48.

From the foregoing description, it is evident that a combination of elements is provided which combine to provide a piece of furniture such as a table having means for circulating air and directing the air toward the occupants of the table. In addition thereto, it is evident that the structure may also include a cooling agent located in the path of the air currents set up by the air advancing means 25 and therefore said air may be cooled prior to its discharge from the device and be directe-d toward the occupants of the table. In addition, it is manifest that the structure involves means for regulating the amount or degree of air circulating from the device and that this means may be operated by any one of several occupants of the table so as to regulate the amount of air directed toward a particular individual at said table.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim vasnew and desire to cover by -Letters Patent is:

l. An article ofl furniture comprising a tubular pedestal having an outlet adjacent its upper end and inlet openings near its lower end and means near its upper end for removably supporting a cooling element in spaced relation to the walls of said pedestal in combination with a transverse member mounted at the upper end of said pedestal with its margins extending beyond the sides thereof, means for directing air from said outlet toward the margins of said member and adjacent the plane thereof,'and means for producing a current of air through said pedestal.

2. An article of furniture comprising a tubular pedestal having an outlet adjacent its upper end and inlet openings near its lower end and means near its upper end for removably supporting a cooling element in spaced relationto the walls of said pedestal in combination with a transverse member mounted at the upper end of said pedestal with its margins extending beyond the sides thereof and provided with an opening therethrough for removing said cooling element from said pedestal, means for directing air from said outlet toward the margins of said member and adjacent the plane thereof, and means for producing a current of air through said pedestal.

3. An article of furniture comprising a tubular pedestal having an outlet at its upper end and inlet openings near its lower end and means near its upper end for supporting a cooling element in spaced relation to the walls of said pedestal I in combination with a transverse member mounted at the upper end of said pedestal with its margins extending beyond the walls thereof, means removably mounted upon said cooling element 4for partially closing said outlet and cooperating with means upon the pedestal for directing air from said outlet toward the margins of said member and adjacent the plane thereof, and means for producing a current of air through said pedestal.

4. An article of furniture comprising a tubular pedestal having an outlet at its upper end and inlet openings near its lower end and means near its upper end for removably supporting a cooling element in spaced relation to the walls of said pedestal in combination with a transverse member mounted at the upper end of said pedestal With its margins extending beyond the sides thereof and provided with an opening therethrough for removing said cooling element from said pedestal, means removably mounted upon said cooling element for partially closing `said outlet and cooperating with means upon the pedestal for directing air from said outlet toward the margins of said member, and means for producing a current of air through said pedestal.

5. An article of furniture comprising a tubular pedestal having an outlet at its upper end and inlet openings near its lower end and means near its upper end for supporting a'cooling element in spaced relation to the walls of said pedestal in combination with a transverse member mounted at the upper end of said pedestal, its margins extending beyond the sides thereof, means for directing air from said outlet toward the margins of said member, means near said margins for controlling the air from said outlet at said margins, and means for producing a current of air through said pedestal.

6. An article of furniture comprising a tubular pedestal having an outlet adjacent its upper end and inlet openings near its lower end, and means near its upper end for supporting a cooling element in spaced relation to the walls of said pedestal in combination with a transverse member mounted at the upper end of said pedestal with its margins extending beyond the sides thereof, means for directing air from said outlet toward the margins of the member and adjacent the plane thereof, and means within the pedestal above said inlet openings for producing a current of air through said pedestal.

7. An article of furniture comprising a tubular pedestal having an outlet atv its upper end and inlet openings near its lower end, and means near its upper end for removably supporting a cooling element in spaced relation to the walls of said pedestal in combination with a transverse member mounted at the upper end of said pedestal with its margins extending beyond the sides thereof and provided with an opening therethrough for removing said cooling element from said pedestal, means for directing air from said outlet toward the margins of said member, and means within the pedestal for producing a current of air through said pedestal.

8. An article of furniture comprising a tubular pedestal having an outlet at its upper end and inlet openings near its lower end, and means near its upper end for removably supporting a cooling element in spaced relation to the walls 0i' said pedestal in combination with a' transverse member mounted at the upper end of said pedestal with its margins extending beyond the sides thereof and provided with an opening therethrough for removing said cooling element from said pedestal, means removably mounted upon said cooling element for partially closing said outlet and cooperating with means upon the pedestal for directing air from said outlet toward the margins of said member and adjacent the plane thereof, and means near said margin for controlling the air from said outlet at said margin, and means for producing a current of air through said pedestal.

9. An article of furniture comprising a tubular pedestal having an outlet at its upper end and inlet openingsY near its lower end and means near its upper end for removably supporting a cooling element in spaced relation to the walls of said Pedestal in combination with a transverse mem` ber mounted at the upper end of said pedestal with its margins extending beyond the sides thereof and provided with an opening therethrough for removing said cooling element from said pedestal, and means mounted upon said cooling element for partially closing said outlet, means for directing the air from said outlet toward the margins of said member, means near said margin for controlling the air from said outlet at said margin, and means Within the pedestal, below said cooling element but above said inlet openings, for producing a current of air through said pedestal.

10. An article of furniture comprising a tubular pedestal having an outlet at its upper end and inlet openings near its lower end, a cooling element adapted to loosely nt within said pedestal comprising a iluid tight receptacle adapted to contain a cooling medium, said cooling element having means at its upper end arranged to cooperate with means connected to the pedestal for supporting said cooling element in position with its walls in spaced relation to the walls of the pedestal in combination with a transverse member mounted at the upper end of said pedestal with its margins extending beyond the sides thereof, means for directing air from said outlet toward the margins of said member, and means for producing a current of air through said pedestal.

11. An article of furniture comprising a tubular pedestal having an outlet at its upper end and inlet openings near its lower end, a cooling element adapted to loosely fit within the pedestal comprising a fluid tight receptacle adapted to contain a. cooling medium, said cooling element having means adapted to cooperate with means connected to the pedestal to removably lock the same in position with its walls in spaced relation to the walls of said pedestal in combination with a transverse member mounted at the upper end of said pedestal with its margins extending beyond the sides thereof and provided with an opening therethrough for removing said cooling element from said pedestal, means removably mounted upon said cooling element for directing air from said outlet toward the margins of said member, and means within said pedestal for producing a current of air through said pedestal.

12. An article of furniture comprising a tubular pedestal having an outlet at its upper end and inlet openings near its lower end, a cooling element adapted to loosely t within said pedestal comprising a uid tight receptacle adapted to contain a cooling medium and having means adapted to cooperate with means connected to said pedestal to removably lock the same in position with its walls in spaced relation to the walls of said pedestal in combination with a transverse member mounted at the upper end of said pedestal with its margins extending beyond the sides thereof and provided with an opening therethrough for removing said cooling element from said pedestal, means for directing air from said outlet in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of said member and toward the mar- Eins thereof, and means between the bottom of said cooling element and said inlet openings for producing a current of air through said pedestal.

13. An article of furniture comprising a tubular pedestal having an outlet adjacent its upper end and inlet openings near its lower end and means near its upper end for supporting a coollng element in said pedestal in spaced relation with respect to the walls thereof in combination with a transverse member mounted at the upper end of said pedestal, the margins of said member extending beyond the sides of the pedestal and having openings formed in said margins, means for directing air from said outlet toward the openings formed in the margins of said member, and means for producing a current of air through said pedestal.

B. MODINE. 

